Gundam Seed Homeworld
by nick2951
Summary: Colonizing a new world for her people, Cagalli must weather the storm of Galactic Politics and War in order to protect her exiled people. Fic is not mine but a deceased friends. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Seed Destiny or any elements I borrowed from other materials.

Author's Note: This fic is not mine but rather a friend's who just died recently. Before he died, he asked if I could post this and continue it if there were enough reviews since he left me his computer that had a pretty detailed summery on how the fic goes. I said I would so readers: PLEASE REVIEW if you want the fic to continue. The fic has elements from Space Empires 4 and the Homeworld series.

Cagalli Yula Athha stared out at the planet below her.

She had been looking at the celestial body for over an hour by herself. Cagalli was still feeling the aftereffects of stasis and was a bit sore.

Brushing a bit of her blond hair out of her face, Cagalli made a mental note to have her hair trimmed. She had let her hair grow out during the Ark's escape from the Earth Sphere.

"Lady Cagalli?" asked a voice from behind her. Cagalli turned to see the vessel's Captain, Jonathan Turner, standing at attention.

The man was over six feet tall with gray hair and brown eyes. He was wearing an Orb Union naval uniform and was one of oldest officers currently in the fleet. Cagalli planned on promoting the man to a full admiral when she had the chance.

"It looks beautiful" said the blond as she turned to gaze out at the planet once again. It almost reminded her of Earth.

"I have to admit that it does. We have been surveying it for the last few months and everything looks good so far" said the Captain with a smile.

"I hope so; since we have exhausted our fuel for the hyperdrive, we are left with very few options" said Cagalli. She had promised the two million that are now lying in stasis that she would find a home for them and would carry out that promise no matter what.

"I agree ma'am; if you follow me, Dr. Simmons and his team are ready to debrief you" said the officer, motioning for the blond to follow him.

As the two walked down the hall, the personnel that they passed saluted her. Cagalli returned their salute and smiled at them to reassure them that everything was going to be okay.

The last time Cagalli saw most of the crew was two years ago right before she was placed into stasis. The Ark only required a skeleton crew to handle the massive vessel while it is in hyperspace. The blond could not imagine what they went through during those long two years and vowed to reward them in some way once the planet has been settled.

After ten minutes of walking, the duo entered a large conference room. The walls were painted gray with a large monitor on the far wall opposite from the exit. A large rectangular table sat in the room, made from wood which was scarce on the ship. Waiting for them was a large group of people, most who Cagalli knew quite well.

The Orb leader was happy to see her friends Miriallia, Dearka, Meyrin, Yzak, Shiho, Martin DeCosta, and Erica Simmons awakened from stasis along with herself. The blond considered them almost like family. They were all seated at the conference table.

There were also two others seated with the group as well. They had been picked up by the Ark as it was leaving the system.

Selene McGriff fit in well with Erica Simmons and had contributed her expertise in the Ark's flight from the Earth Sphere. Cagalli liked the woman and was glad that she stayed despite her offers to let the woman return to the PLANTs.

Cagalli still did not know quite what to think about Sven Cal Bayan. His cold demeanor still bothered her and the fact that the man was a former member of Phantom Pain was also a factor. He did help defend the Ark from attacks by ZAFT and earned a place on the ship because of that fact. He currently shared command of Orb's mobile suit forces with Yzak. The two seemed to have a mutual respect of each other and got along quite well.

After taking her seat at the end of the table, Cagalli watched as the Science team took their seats at the other end. Only Dr. Jake Simmons, Erica Simmons younger brother, remained standing. He had a cheerful demeanor which seemed to put Cagalli at ease.

"I am glad to see you up my lady" said the scientist with a smile.

"Thank you; what do you have for us?" asked the Orb Leader, returning a smile of her own.

"Good news, I am happy to say. For the last five months since we arrived, my team and I have examined every bit of the planet below us for colonization. In spirit of our homeland, I have decided to name the planet Orb.

The planet is roughly two-thirds the size of Earth with only one large continent that makes up a third of the planet's surface and water making up the other two-thirds. It has two moons that are roughly half the size of Earth's moon and their orbit poses no danger of colliding with one another. The atmosphere is slightly different from Earths in the fact that it is composed of twenty-two percent oxygen and seventy six percent nitrogen. It is still far acceptable for human habitation. The planet's ocean is composed of salt water there is nothing lethal to human exposure. Gravity is about two percent Earth normal so everything on the surface is slightly lighter.

The land mass is made of large pockets of plains with surrounding forests. There are about six large lakes containing good amounts of fresh water as well as twenty major rivers. The fresh water has been tested and retested for any abnormalities. We have identified only six species of major plant life so far. The forests are composed of a tree that seems to be a cross mix of a redwood and a fern tree. It actually produces fifteen percent more oxygen than plant life back on Earth.

The planet seems to be plentiful in regards to natural resources. We have catalogued deposits of nickel, iron, copper, gold, silver, titanium, as well as other metals and rock. We have also identified three new types of metals which would be excellent for manufacturing.

The planet has excellent soil deposits for farming in some areas and not so well in others. It is recommended that we keep our farming situated on the northeastern seaboard. We also recommend constructing orbital farming colonies in case of environmental conditions.

We have found native life, but nothing that we can surmise as intelligent life. The forests seem to house a feline-like species of animal that appears to be carnivorous. They feed on another species of animal that are herbivores and resembles a type of squirrel; A very large squirrel. The plains are inhabited by a roaming species of a buffalo type of animal. The herds are quite large with up to eight thousand per group. They so far absolutely no threat and could possibly be domesticated for future use. We have found no insect life what so ever but we are still looking.

There is quite a large compliment of aquatic life. Most of the fish and amphibians are small and harmless; we have been doing studies to see which are good for human consumption and which are not. There are also a large amount of predators as well; nothing too large that we can find but we don't recommend setting up any beaches just yet.

The only negative effects we have found are that the winters seem to be very harsh, which is why the orbital farms might be necessary. A solar cycle lasts 402 days and winter takes up about a third of the year. There are times where snows for five days straight. The rain season lasts about two months and we have observed some coastal flooding. Temperatures range from forty below Fahrenheit to 110 degrees all year round; which is quite tolerable"

"Pinpoint ideal locations where we can start constructing cities. We will then awaken our engineers and other technicians" said Cagalli.

"How will we do that?" asked Selene.

"The Ark was designed to be an orbital construction yard as well as a colony ship. All we need is the raw materials and just about anything can be built" answered Erica Simmons with a smile.

"What about the rest of the population?" asked Dearka, stifling a yawn.

"It is probably better to awaken them in small groups once there is housing available" answered Captain Turner.

"I agree; I also want to make sure there is plenty of food to accommodate the people as well. Everyone here will be responsible for a particular area of the planet's colonization. I'll let you pick which area you want to do. Any Questions?" asked the Orb Leader.

"What are we going to do about defense?" asked Sven suddenly. Everyone looked at him at surprise.

"What do you mean defense?" asked Miriallia with a puzzled expression.

"In case we are attacked" said the former Phantom Pain pilot with a neutral look on his face.

"From whom? Little green men?" asked Dearka jokingly.

"He probably means ZAFT; it is only a matter of time before they discover hyperspace flight" said Yzak, scowling at his friend.

"Currently, we have about fifty-three mobile suits and two _Izumo_-class ships in our arsenal. We can construct more if we need it" informed Erica Simmons.

"I would like to concentrate on planet development than defense. However, I do see the wisdom in preparing for a possible attack. I want both Yzak and Sven to take charge of planetary defense. Build what you need but remember that planetary development comes first" said Cagalli in a firm voice. The two men nodded.

"Anything else?" asked the blond. No one spoke up.

"Very well then; we will start tomorrow. Dismissed" said Cagalli. She watched as mostly everyone left the room. Only Meyrin remained.

"Are you okay?" asked Meyrin as she watched Cagalli rub her eyes with both hands.

"Just tired; you would think that being in cold storage for about two years would make a person not feel drained" stated the blond with a groan.

"It didn't really seem like sleeping to me; I think you just need a real good night's sleep" said the red-head.

"You're right; how are you doing?" asked Cagalli, a little concerned for her best friend.

"I am hanging in there. Are you going to visit Lenore?" asked Meyrin.

"Yeah; along with Aki" answered the Orb Leader.

"Do you plan on waking them?" asked the woman.

"No; I plan to leave the children in storage until we start waking families. I am afraid to say that I don't have the time to raise them at the moment" answered Cagalli with a sad smile.

"I understand; I think Athrun, Lacus, and Kira would agree with you. Are you going to change Aki's name to Athha?" asked the red-head.

"No; Aki is Kira's and Lacus's child. I want Aki to grow up knowing her parents and the heroes they were" stated Cagalli with conviction. Meyrin nodded and after a minute of silence, the blond spoke up.

"Do you hate me because Lenore is my child and not yours?" asked Cagalli, looking at Meyrin.

"No, of course not; why would you think that?" asked the red-head, surprise in her voice.

"I know how much you and Athrun cared for each other. What happened on our last night together before the Battle of Messiah was something that wasn't planned" informed the blond in a soft voice.

"I understand that; I don't resent you, Athrun, or the child. I am actually glad that there is a piece of him that is still left" stated Meyrin.

Cagalli agreed with the woman. When Lenore was older, she planed to tell her all about her father. She had given birth to the boy about nine months after Athrun was killed. It was also the same for Lacus. The birth of Aki was only a few days apart from Lenore.

The thought of Lacus brought sadness to Cagalli. Lacus had died with Kisaka at Orb, making sure that ZAFT would never use the country's resources for its own use. The blond had tried to make her friend come with her, but was knocked out by Kisaka and loaded onto the Ark.

Cagalli still remembered watching the speech that the Songstress made before detonating the explosives that sank Orb into the ocean. The speech had been Defiant and passionate; condemning Gilbert Durandal and his Destiny Plan. Cagalli planned on building a memorial to the Pink Princess when she had the chance.

Until then, Cagalli would raise Aki as her own. Unlike Lenore who bore a close resemblance to her father, Aki looked more like her mother with her pink hair and blue eyes. She was also an Ultimate Coordinator as well, which Cagalli planned to keep secret.

Yawning, Cagalli stood up and headed to the exit. Meyrin walked beside her and the two chatted about Meyrin's coming duties as Cagalli's assistant, taking Kisaka's place at her side.

The Orb leader knew that the coming months would be hard. The colonization of their new home would be long and taxing, requiring everyone to do their fair share. She also had the task of setting up a new parliament once the population was settled. Cagalli vowed that Orb's Government would stay the same.

Please R&R


	2. Author's Rant

First Off, I am sorry to say that this is not an update but a rant

First Off, I am sorry to say that this is not an update but a rant!

I would like to address the one who sent me a flame through my personal e-mail: ZaftFan2654, who cowardly deleted his e-mail account soon after so I could not reply. This wasn't done through a review or PM- but trough my e-mail account directly!

I don't appreciate being flamed just because I tend to have ZAFT as the "bad guy" in my fics- in fact, that just pisses me off. I also don't like it when people like you (ZaftFan2654) who criticize my stories just because I show favoritism towards the EA and place them in a more realistic grey area than what the series depicts. I also see the EA and LOGOS/Blue Cosmos as separate entities as well.

I don't like ZAFT

I am one of the proud few who are not ZAFT Fan Boys who says that the EA is inherently evil. I also am proud that I don't create "super good guy" characters that do no wrong and are perfect. So I don't like it when I am called to make a story like "Valkyrie's Run" because it's more "realistic" to the series. Dragoon Swordsman has his opinions on GS/GSD and I have mine; I am not going to bow down to the "ZAFT is Good" ideology. I have seen evil acts by both sides of the conflicts.

So if people don't like what I am doing- DON'T READ THEN!!

So next time anyone e-mails me directly to flame me on my stories and list the so called "good qualities" of ZAFT- at least let me respond to I could point out all the evil ZAFT has done as well.

On a final note, I was so angry that I was thinking of abandoning my GSD Fics all together- but then I thought- that's what you (ZaftFan2654) want isn't it? Well I am going to do the exact opposite.

So expect a fic coming out that will be a Kira/Lacus pairing and will view ZAFT/PLANTs as the supreme evil in the universe. I don't like acting childish but what was said was not nice and think of this as a sort of vengeance.

As for the real updates- all will be out by the end of the month for "Checkmate", "Ghosts", "Sins", "Lamentations", and "GSD Homeworld".

Thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own GS, GSD, or any other elements from other materials

Disclaimer: Still don't own GS, GSD, or any other elements from other materials.

Author's Quick Note: I want to thank all those who supported me during my little rant. I appreciated the messages I got; but I do still plan my anti-ZAFT fic which will be titled "Kira Yamato: Soldier of LOGOS". The ZAFT fanboy responded to my rant with one of his own, but the coward once again deleted his e-mail account before I could respond.

Cagalli wiped the sweat from her brow.

Looking up, the blond watched the stars through the glass window of the orbital station. She tried to pick out any constellations as she sat back and rested. Her daughter and niece were only a few feet away, digging in the soil with their shovels.

The space station was one of seven that orbited the planet. There was nothing fancy about the station's design; it was basically a half-sphere shape which was easy to be built. A type of super glass allowed sunlight to get to the crops and also power the station.

Nuclear power was not used on the surface due to caution for meltdowns. Though Cagalli had faith in her workers, the blond did not want radiation leaking in case of fallout. The surface relied on solar, wind, and thermal power plants that were spread throughout the continent. Large batteries had been built as well to store power when winter caused the solar power plants to provide less electricity.

The trio was currently digging up potatoes, one of many vegetables that were grown on this particular farm. Looking off to the distance, Cagalli watched as lettuce and corn were gathered.

The Orb leader liked doing work in the orbital farms. It was her chance to get away from the task of running the planet. It was also a chance to spend some time with the children. The two six-year olds were the only family she had left.

Cagalli had woken the two almost a year ago when she started waking the Orb population. By that time, two large cities had been constructed on the surface of the planet and ready for habitation.

The housing had gone smoothly and people were adjusting well to their new life. Food was plentiful and the people were not cramped. Cagalli had even allowed some of the populace to venture out from the cities to establish towns.

There were currently five major cities and thirty small towns on the surface of Orb. All six million of the population of Orb that was in stasis during their flight from Earth was awake.

The transition had been tough but the Orb population had pulled through together. There were no problems between the Natural and Coordinator elements of her people; in fact, relations couldn't be smoother. The people truly desired a fresh start.

A sudden movement caught Cagalli's eye and she watched a pair of Murasames fly over the station. The mobile suits seemed to be the same ones that had flew over the station two hours ago and Cagalli figured that it was one of the assigned patrols.

Currently, Orb's military was made up of a hundred mobile suits and ten Izumo-class ships. The personnel were made up of the surviving members of the military as well as former ZAFT and EA defectors. Cagalli had placed joint command of the military in Sven's and Yzak's hands. The two seemed to be doing a good job so far.

"Mommy, I'm hungry" said Lenore, rubbing her tummy.

Lenore Athha Zala resembled her father more than Cagalli. The young girl's hair was short and blue as well as having green eyes. Lenore also had an eye for tinkering with machines and would take apart anything she could get her hands on. The girl disliked dresses like her mother and preferred male clothing; which she was currently wearing with blue pants and a white t-shirt.

"Me too Auntie Cagalli" said Aki, mimicking her cousin.

Aki Clyne Yamato was a mix of both her father and mother. While she had Lacus's long pink hair, she had Kira's blue eyes and other facial features. Aki was also more feminine and preferred wearing dresses. She had also inherited Lacus's voice and Aki's singing was getting better every month.

Aki had also inherited much of the genetic traits from Kira, making her genetic structure superior to anyone else. It was speculated that by her teens, Aki would handle a mobile suit just as well as her father if not better. The knowledge of Aki's genes was known only to a select few; Cagalli wanted the girl to live a normal life without ridicule.

"Well it looks like its time for lunch; gather up your things" said Cagalli, standing up. She was also starting to get hungry herself.

Currently, the Orb diet was mostly made up of just fish, soy, and vegetables. The only meat that was available was the native animal life on the planet and was left alone due to the decision by the people of Orb themselves; Soy supplements were good enough to taste like the real thing. Fishing was well practiced but well regulated as well in order to preserve aquatic species.

After they were done collecting their things, the trio made their way down the dirt path that separated the various crops from one another. The two young girls walked at each side of Cagalli as they made their way, waving and smiling at the people working as they passed. The workers smiled back and nodded in respect to Cagalli.

Eight months ago, Cagalli had convened the new Orb parliament. The representatives were made up of all the current towns and cities of Orb; each having one representative each. The Orb leader wanted to make sure there was enough democracy as possible to insure that every Orb citizen was properly represented.

Since the noble families were all wiped out, Cagalli had no problems in the establishment of the new Government. Her original plan was to have an elected leader take her place but the Orb citizens would hear nothing of it. It was a small relief to her that her people still loved her despite everything that happened.

The new legislative body as well as other administrative services was based in Yamato City, the first city to be established on Orb. The city served as the capital of Orb and supported a large spaceport which was always busy with activity.

As the trio approached the mess hall, Cagalli spotted a familiar red-head amongst the people sitting at the tables eating.

The building itself was fairly simple looking with an open space containing the tables and a single booth to pick up the food. The open space was covered by a plastic roof which came out from the rest of the building. Cagalli had the two little ones take a seat at an empty table while she went to the booth to get some food.

The woman on the other side of the window handed Cagalli three plates full of rice, potatoes, and a soy meat patty. The blond thanked the woman and took the food over to the children. All three began munching.

As they ate, Cagalli realized that she had forgotten to get drinks for the small group and proceeded to get up when Meyrin appeared with a tray. On the tray were three glasses of apple juice. She set the tray down and took a seat opposite from the three.

"What are you doing here?" asked Cagalli in surprise. She had given Meyrin the day off.

Meyrin had become both Cagalli's personal assistant and best friend over the years. The two considered each other as sisters and Meyrin had helped in the raising of the girls. Cagalli was sometimes saddened that Meyrin lost so much for what she believed in.

"Enjoying my day off; I thought I would join you and the girls if you don't mind" said the red-head with a smile. Both the little girls nodded and smiled back.

"Of course; you are always welcomed. I thought you were going to do some shopping at Clyne City?" asked the Orb Leader.

"I was; I definitely have accumulated enough credits for a massive shopping spree but just wasn't in the mood" answered Meyrin, taking a drink of her apple juice.

"Oh? What about that dress you always wanted?" asked the blond, before taking a bite of her food.

"No point in getting it at the moment; are you guys going to spend the rest of the day here?" asked the young woman.

"For the most part; I planned on taking the children to get some ice cream a little later" answered Cagalli. The two girls smiled happily at that.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

On the edge of the Orb system, there was a flash of light and a large vessel erupted into space. The vessel was damaged and plasma vented from the drive shafts. Still it moved, floating forward through space.

The ship itself was pointed at the tip and expanded outwards; at the widest point, it decreased inwards and made a smaller triangle. The hull was smooth and a bright orange that made it stand out very much in space.

For the next few hours, the ship moved closer and closer to Orb and finally was detected by the Defenses Forces. There was a rush of panic in the higher echelons of Orb's Government and all military personnel were place on high alert. All ten of the Izumos plus Orb's entire force of mobile suits moved to meet the vessel.

The ship turned out to be larger than anything Orb had ever seen. The vessel was far bigger than the Gondwana by both length and mass. While there were no visible weapons, the Orb fleet took no chance and targeted the unknown ship for destruction if it showed hostile intent.

On the third day, contact was established when a signal from the ship overrode the comm channels throughout the system. The signal from the ship displayed an audio voice only that was understandable to some degree. From what was gathered, the message was a plea for help.

From the bridge of the _Kisaka_, Cagalli considered the message with both awe and fear. There was no mistake that it was an SOS, but she was still unsure how to proceed directly. The comment of "attacked by little green aliens" came to her head.

"What should we do My Lady?" asked Captain Norris. A young man, he was a former EA officer and Windam pilot.

Cagalli was still unsure what to do; however, she could not ignore a cry for help.

"Send some mobile suits over to put out the external fires; once the fires are out, we'll tow the ship back to the Ark," ordered the blond.

"Are you sure that's wise?" the young captain asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"I want Humanity's first contact with an Alien race to be as pleasant as possible. The last thing Orb needs is conflict right now" explained the woman. Norris nodded and issued the orders.

A squad of six Murasames flew towards the large vessel, carrying extinguishers in their hands. The extinguishers themselves were quite large, bulky, orange in color, and oval shaped. Walking up to one of the larger green plasma fires, a pair of Murasames activated their extinguishers and pure white vapor erupted from the device. Slowly, the plasma fire to get smaller and smaller until it died out all together.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Ship Master, the fires on the outside of the ship are being put out. Hull temperature is starting to decline and the reactor is cooling down," announced crewman Hyi from his station.

Ship Master Gorth of the _Makasa_ sighed in relief as he watched the alien mechs do their work. He was fascinated by what he saw; the mechs looked far more flexible than anything he had ever seen before. It truly appeared that they were dealing with an advanced race.

"You are sure Priestess that these beings offer us no hostility?" asked Gorth, turning to face the female behind him.

"I do sense great fear and alertness, but no open emotions of hostility. I believe that this is their first encounter with another species other than their own" stated High Priestess Magala. Covered head to toe in a white robe, the only visible part of her body was the grey eyes.

"I see; thank the Goddess. Priestess, I have no experience in this field and would greatly appreciate it if you could handle the talks with these beings" requested the Ship Master with great respect as he bowed.

"My sisters and I would be happy to. I am anxious to meet with these beings; from what I sense, they seem to be lead by a female" said the woman.

Gorth was somewhat surprised by that. There were very few nations out there that allowed females to run their societies. Only the Priestesses of the Goddess, the spiritual leaders of his race, achieved high rank in the Government and held seats on the High Council.

The ship began to move as he watched the smaller alien vessels began to tow the _Makasa_ towards the planet. It took all ten of the ships to accomplish this task and Gorth wondered why the beings did not call for any larger ships to do the task

Gorth watched as the planet became larger and spotted considerable activity in orbit. What really got his attention was the large vessel in orbit; he could not tell what kind of ship it was and its use.

"Ship Master, I am getting data from our scans from the planet" another crewman announced from his station.

The bridge was only inhabited by Gorth, the Priestess, and three other crewmen. The attack by the pirates had killed many of the crew and all available bodies were tied up in keeping the ship intact. Gorth was glad that none of the Priestesses were killed; it would be his head for sacrilege if just one was lost.

"What do your scans reveal?" the Ship Master asked.

"The planet has numerous settlements spread throughout the singe continent; though I detect a major spaceport, there appears to be little of military strength. However, I do detect military facilities on one of the moons. The smaller stations appear to be orbital farms" informed the crewman.

"You got all this from a single scan?" asked Gorth in puzzlement. The scanners were not in the best condition due to the widespread damage to the ship.

"No ECM; this system is wide open for anyone to see within" said the crewman. Gorth just shook his head in wonderment.

"What about that?" Gorth pointed at the largest object on the screen.

"A combination of a colony ship and a shipyard; larger than a Dreadnought, but houses no external weapons mounts" answered the being.

"A sitting target then; the lack of defense here is pitiful," the Ship Master observed.

"A fleet of Gunships could take this place" another crewman agreed.

The Priestess stayed silent through the exchange. She found it a little difficult to manage all the emotions that she was reading from the population of the planet and in orbit. Fear, awe, alertness, pain, hardship, and other sensations were troubling to the Priestess.

She felt that she had great work to do.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Three days later, Cagalli stood in front of the airlock of the ship that belonged to the race called the Quasen.

With her were most of the high echelon of Orb's Government as well as members of the military. Dressed in her Representative Uniform, Cagalli felt nervous with a slight feeling of fear.

She was about to represent humanity to an alien race.

An honor guard stood side by side of the airlock door. Cagalli wanted to have a lack of any soldiers attending but Sven and Yzak were very adamant about having security in case something went wrong.

The last three days were eventful; dialogue was finally established thanks to a universal translation program that the Qausen had sent over. It took a while for Orb to get it working, the program was very complex.

After open dialogue was established, an exchange of biological data was shared in regards to the preference of what kind of atmosphere the Qausen could breath. It was sheer luck that the two races shared the same needs in regards to breathable air so there was no problem in that department.

As the airlock door opened, Cagalli and her entourage stood at attention.

The first impression the blond got as she watched the first Qausen come into view was that she was seeing the return of her teddy bear that she had as a child. The Qausen was just under five feet tall, had green hair all over, and its clothing was a single shirt that covered the upper body. It had big ears and a black nose.

Its companion, who appear from behind, was dressed head to toe in a white robe. Cagalli could see the grey eyes which were not covered and it reminded the blond of how women in the Middle East dressed. There was something though that calmed Cagalli about the pair though and she could figure out why. Taking the initiative, the Orb Leader stepped forward.

"On behalf of the Orb Union and Humanity, I welcome you" greeted the blond to the pair in front of her. She mentally kicked herself of how lame it sounded.

"On behalf of the Qausen Nation, I accept your welcome and thank you for your hospitality in regards to our situation" said the robed Qausen which to Cagalli, sounded like a female. She, and the rest of the assembled, was surprised that they could understand what the female said.

"I am a fast learner when it comes to languages" said Magala smiling, sensing their astonishment.

"I see" said Cagalli, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Life was about to get a whole lot more complicated for her.

Ship Master Gorth still wasn't sure to make of the Humans as he followed the High Priestess. The beings were similar in makeup with the people of the Tarain Empire but there were enough differences to see that they were not of the same species; the human's skin wasn't gold colored and did not have red eyes.

Either way, he was glad to let the Priestess do all the talking; he had enough trouble getting through the customs of the other stellar nations. There was one thing that suddenly came to him couple cycles ago that made this experience worthwhile.

How could he make a profit from these beings?

Author's Note: I apologize for the late update for this fic but I had to decide where it was going to go before I continued it. I know at first that this isn't exactly like Homeworld right at the moment but there will be fleet battles down the road with HW like elements in it. I also like to point out that there are elements from the Space Empire series as well as other 4X games.

I also apologize if the first contact seems a little rushed and the first race Orb encounters lacks originality; I will hopefully do better down the road when Orb becomes involved in the politics of the universe.

The next updates will be Sins and Checkmate- expect them in about a week after the current updates are released.

Please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

There were days when Erica Simmons wished that she stayed retired.

When New Orb had finally been settled and a defense force organized, Erica felt it was finally time to settle down. Taking residence in one of the smaller cities, she devoted her free time into gardening and teaching at the newly established engineering school.

However, one year ago everything changed.

When formal relations were established with the Qausen, the galaxy had been opened up to Orb. With it came the dangers of what lurked out there. Though the galaxy was stable at the moment, it did not mean that Orb was not at risk.

Though the nation were the only ones using mobile suit technology that gave them an edge over normal strike craft (fighters), Orb was behind in about everything else in the terms of military machinery. One could even call Orb a fifth rate power that could not fight off raiders, much less another stellar nation.

The Qausen, grateful with humanity's kindness in aiding the crew and priestesses of their damaged vessel, offered to help Orb better protect themselves. Some crucial military technology was given to humanity which changed the way warfare was fought.

The Qausen were a nation composed of many different clans that were ruled by a central Council. Only the Eldest of the race was allowed to be a part of the Council whom were voted in by the population. The race was highly religious and very friendly to all those who were different than them.

When Cagalli asked Erica to head Orb's military development, the woman could not refuse. Though she hated coming out of retirement, her nation needed her and Erica was happy to work with something new.

"Ms. Simmons, everything is looking green for launch," informed a technician.

"Then tell the crew on board the _Kisaka_ that they can launch," ordered the woman.

Hearing silent chatting in the back, Erica glanced back at the assembled dignitaries who came to watch the Launch of Orb's newest class of warship. Cagalli, the Qausen Ambassador, Sven, Yzak, Dearka, Miriallia, Martin, Meyrin, and Orb's entire Parliament had come to view the event. This was a big day for Orb and everyone in the Government was here to see it. The engineer felt a little nervous but shrugged it off since this was not the first time that she has done soothing like this.

The group was inside the main bridge of the Ark, looking up at the large monitor showing the Ion Frigate _Kisaka_. The vessel was currently inside of the Ark's many hangers and just initiated its engines. Slowly, it made its way out through the open hanger doors into space.

One of the newest military technologies that Orb had received was the Ion Cannon, one of the main weapons that were used in current ship designs for interstellar navies. Beam weapons, though somewhat useful, lacked the power to do damage to shields on any ship. Only more powerful forms of energy weapons had to be used to defeat potential enemies.

The _Kisaka_, Orb's first ship using Ion weaponry, was named after Cagalli's former protector who died when the Ark was launched. The vessel was 385 meters long from the engines to the front of the ship. The bridge was located at the extended section above the ship while the engines were the exact below the vessel. The ion canon, the _Kisaka's_ only weapon, was at the front of the ship.

Erica planned to name other ships after Orb heroes in the immediate future. Already the _Mwu_-class corvette was being assembled as well as the _Zala_-class assault frigate.

"Why is the ship only equipped with one weapon?" asked a parliament member. Erica suppressed the urge to chuckle, remembering when the same question was asked during the flight tests of the Astray.

"The Ion cannon uses up a lot of power as well as the _Kisaka's_ shields and engines. So equipping the vessel with other weapons is futile," answered the female engineer.

"But with the new terafon reactor, would that not provide plenty of power?" asked another Member of Parliament.

"The Ion cannon can only be powered with the new type of energy as well as the shields. Nuclear, Fusion, and Anti-matter reactors cannot provide the power needed to engage those systems; especially at the same time," explained Erica with respect. Unlike past members of Orb's Parliament, Erica actually held respect for the current crop of politicians.

"So it would be like trying to use a positron based weapon powered by a compact battery?" compared the same parliament member.

"Exactly," answered the woman with a smile.

The frigate exited the Ark and was on its way to the testing area, moving slowly through space. While the vessel was able to move faster than its present speed, it was its first time out and the crew did not want to push the ship too much on its first run. The ship was complimented with a full crew, all highly trained just to run that particular ship.

"What target did you decide on?" Yzak asked.

"One of the uncompleted _Izumos_; we had it towed out to the staging area this morning," answered one on Erica's assistants.

"Will that be enough?" asked Sven in a neutral tone. Even after all this time, the young man still made Erica uneasy. She concluded that it was probably due to his history in the Blue Cosmos.

"For the weapons test; yes, that is enough. We have two more _Izumos_ to test the _Kisaka's_ shields," informed Erica.

"Speaking of _Izumos_, are we going to scrap our entire fleet of them?" Dearka asked.

"In regards to our recent upgrades in weapons technology, it might be a good idea; however, I believe that refitting them would be a better idea. They would be a small asset to our defense fleet as a rear guard" explained Erica, keeping the sadness out of her voice. The _Izumo_ class warship was one of her creations.

"Ma'am, the _Kisaka_ is in position," informed a technician.

"Good; tell them to commence the test when ready," ordered Erica Simmons.

On board the _Kisaka_, Captain Ryu Todoka sat in his command chair as the vessel prepared to initiate its first firing of the ion cannon. The young man felt slightly nervous due this being his first command. He had joined the military after his elder brother had been killed in the Battle of Crete and was one of the first to sign on with the newly established defense forces.

The bridge was slightly darkened and quite small which only housed about seven people including himself; two crewmen sat at their stations directly in front of Ryu while the rest were paired off on each side of the command chair.

"Captain, we are in range of the target," informed Ensign Maywhether from her station at the right of Todoka. The incomplete _Izumo _appeared on screen, floating silently in space.

"Divert power from the engines to the Ion Cannon and target that hulk," ordered the Captain.

"Aye Sir," replied Maywhether. The frigate slowed to a stop as it readied to fire its main weapon.

"We're locked on," announced the weapon's officer from his station.

"Fire," Todoka said loudly, which echoed throughout the bridge.

A large single blue beam erupted from the barrel of the _Kisaka_ and burned through its target as if it were paper. The _Izumo_ exploded violently in a single angry outburst, sending scraps of metal everywhere. However, the pieces were too tiny to be any threat to the _Kisaka_ or any other ships in the area.

On board the Ark, most of the assembled let out a gasp of astonishment as they watched the scene unfold on the main monitor. Erica was somewhat astounded herself in seeing the ion cannon in use for the first time. Computer simulations and reality were two very separate things.

"Amazing; I've only seen a positron weapon do that much damage," said Dearka, his eyes wide.

"What you are seeing though is the ion cannon hit a target with no shields. Though I agree that a positron weapon can do the same thing, only ion based weaponry can be more effective against an enemy ship with shields," informed Ambassador Goyen of the Qausen Nation.

The Ambassador was the tallest in the group and wore a bright tan robe which covered just about his entire body. His fur was silver, which Cagalli found was a depiction of his age; the Qausen's fir coat changed color as they grew older. From what Cagalli was told by the Qausen, he was over three hundred years old which indicated another difference between the two races.

Goyen Hask was sent by the Qausen's Ruling Council when formal relations were established between the two nations. Since he arrived, his advice had proved invaluable in helping Orb establish contact with other stellar nations. His arrival was met with some skepticism but the Ambassador had a gift of warming up to anyone he came in contact with.

Cagalli's children still called him a teddy bear whenever they saw him; something the Qausen found humorous. He had lost his mate in a skirmish with pirates, whom he loathed and loved children; no matter what species they were.

"Have there been any attempts to scale down ion based weaponry so that more of them could be place on warships?" Shiho asked from her position at Yzak's side. The two were now married with two children who were back on Orb.

"Both the Taiidan Republic and the Taiidan Empire are supposedly trying to do just that, but there has been no word on each nation's results. The ISA is also trying to do the same thing but with their limited resources, they have not gained much ground. As for the rest of the nations, nothing the Qausen has heard and we lack the military resources to try ourselves," informed Goyen.

"Ma'am, the _Kisaka_ reports that everything on board went smoothly during and after the firing of the Ion Cannon. They report that they are ready for the shield test," stated a technician to Erica.

"Inform the _Lassu_ and the _Malchio_ to initiate their end of the test," ordered the engineer. The technician nodded and relayed the orders.

Two Izumo-class ships entered the test zone and converged on the _Kisaka_, which had its shields fully charged. As soon as they were in range, the two warships began their part of the exercise and let loose a barrage of beam fire onto the Frigate. The energy fire impacted the ship's shields like rain on a windshield.

"Captain, our shields appear to be handling the test fire very well and there is no danger to the ship," informed Lieutenant Hernandez from the shield control station as he stared at his screen.

"It hardly seems like we are under attack at all; I cannot feel a thing," observed Todoka from his seat.

"Shall we go to phase two?" asked Commander Lee from his station at the front of the bridge.

"Yes; prepare for the attack by the Lohengrins," ordered the Captain as he gripped his chair in nervousness.

Stopping their beam fire, the two _Izumos_ powered up their lohengrins and then fired a full barrage at the frigate. The ship was suddenly shaken violently as the position fire impacted the shields. The crew was knocked about slightly as the ship's inertial dampeners did its best to compensate for the impact.

"Captain! Shields are down by fifteen percent but are still holding," exclaimed Hernandez.

"Any hull damage?" asked Todoka, looking over at Lieutenant Gato.

"None and our inertial dampeners are working at maximum efficiency. But another hit like that is not advisable," answered Gato from her station.

"Interesting," said Erica as the information was routed back to her. She stood over the shoulder of a technician as they both read from the console.

"What is?" asked Cagalli from her position in the assemble dignitaries.

"It seems that our positron based weaponry is actually stronger than what is used by the rest of the galaxy. However, this is due to the single barrage instead of the short-fire positron weapons," informed Erica, not looking up at the Orb Leader.

"So you're saying that our tech in that field is better?" asked a Parliament Member.

"Yes and No; though our Lohengrins would do some damage against an enemy ship's shields, they would only be able to fire a single blast before having to recharge which does take a while," answered the Engineer.

"Like a tank blast against a mobile suit," said Yzak, trying to compare the two.

"More or less; this does mean though that we can leave the lohengrins on our refitted Izumos while converting the rest of our beam weaponry over to short fire positrons and plasma cannons," informed Erica, turning to face the group. There were nods of agreement.

"How big are we going to have our fleet?" asked Martin. He had also come out of retirement and would soon take up his position as head of naval intelligence.

"The plan is to have thirty to forty ships so that we can adequately defend ourselves against any threat that comes our way. Once we take control of the three systems that are closest to us, then we might increase the size of our fleet," answered Cagalli.

When Orb received a galactic map detailing a complete navigational address to all known systems, it was revealed that there were three close star systems to their own. All three were unclaimed by ant nation so Cagalli believed it was in Orb's best interest to claim these systems as their own. The Qausen recognized the claim and promised to help Orb legitimize it with the ISA.

The systems themselves would prove invaluable both economically and militarily to Orb down the road. Two of the systems contained planets that could be colonized at some point while the third had several asteroid fields that held plentiful minerals. The systems would also provide a good buffer point for Orb once the gravity well generators built.

"What about MS production now that we know that they are superior to Strike Craft?" inquired Sven. Several of the Parliament Members voiced their inquiries into the subject as well.

"Our refitted Murasames and the new Rick Doms will be rolled out next month so we should have about four hundred ready to go once the pilots have been trained. The engineering corp. has also been developing new mobile suits as well," answered Erica.

As time went on, the assembled mass began to break up once the exercise was over. The _Kisaka_ returned to the Ark with its crew happy that everything went smoothly. Before she left with the Qausen Ambassador, Cagalli turned to Erica.

"Thank you Erica for everything; I greatly appreciate it," said the blond sincerely.

"It's not a problem; in truth, I am glad that I get to work with all new technologies. When do you leave?" Erica asked.

"In a week or so; Ambassador Goyel says that any new member nation of the ISA must have its leader present to sing the charter. After that, everything will be handled through a representative that I must choose," answered the Orb Leader.

"Well I wish you luck; what you are doing will put Orb on the map," stated the Engineer with a sympathetic smile. Cagalli nodded and took her leave.

"I noticed that you seemed to know quite a lot about military technology Ambassador," observed Cagalli as they walked down the corridor. They were followed by Meyrin and Sven.

"I used to be in the military during the last great galactic war; some things stay with you" said the Alien with a smile. Cagalli smiled back and the conversation turned to upcoming trip.

Goyel only half paid attention as they continued to head to the shuttle to get back down to the planet. He was thinking on how fast the humans had been able to adapt to their recent tech upgrades. He smiled to himself to how the Council would react.

The male Qausen was starting to like the human race more and more every day. There was a sprit about them that he had not seen in any other race. Some in the Council was still weary of them but also saw them as a great potential ally in time to come; plus their mobile suit technology would be a great benefit to the Qausen Military.

The humans had already given the Qausen the plans to a suit called the Strike Dagger and already Qausen Scientists have confirmed that the MS, once it was adapted for them, was far superior to any Strike Craft currently in service in the main fleet. With the Strike Daggers, the Qausen can finally take the war with the pirate fleets to them instead of always being on the defensive.

It seemed that the Qausen had finally found a true friend in the universe; the Goddess had blessed them at last.

Author's Note: Well I hope this chapter seemed a little more like Homeworld this time around. I know the Exercise was a little short but think of this chapter as the first two levels of Homeworld. I also hope that the chapter was not too boring with all the technical stuff.

I also apologize if some elements are wrong when I described the various weapons both universes used.

I have MS superior to Strike Craft because I wanted to maintain the core feeling of the Gundam element of this fic. I also truly believe that MS are superior to Strike Craft; especially the Murasame. As the fic rolls on, I will introduce a few UC MS as well, one of them being the Hizack.

Also, both the Taiidan Republic and the Taiidan Empire exist as separate entities in this fic. The background on both nations will be revealed in the next update as well as the bitterness between them.

Next update will be out in a few weeks and will detail Cagalli's trip to the ISA, which will be explained on what it is, as well Orb's first skirmish with Pirates. Expect a fleet battle.

Please R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own it

For the first time in a while, Cagalli actually slept peacefully.

Lying on a Quasen bed in the guest quarters, she smiled on how comfortable the bed was despite the differences in makeup compared to human beds. Quasen beds were meant to be taken apart quickly and thus seemed more like giant bean bags that were covered in fur. Cagalli found out that this was a tradition dating back to the early days of their civilization when they had to migrate on their Homeworld because of the long winters. Quasen though did not use blankets because of their fur covered bodies, thus Cagalli had to bring her own sheet.

The trip to ISA Headquarters would take another few days in hyperspace. So Cagalli took that time to catch up on all the rest she had lacking as of late. She wasn't worried about her home and the children since they were in good hands. Plus it helped that the Quasen had left a few ships in the system for defense until Orb's own Forces could take over.

Currently, the young woman was aboard a Quasen Destroyer. The ship was 310 meters long and resembled a pick ax with the front end of the ship curved like a rainbow. The back of the vessel contained three large engines that were set up to make a triangular shape. The ship sported two ion canon turrets and four short burst plasma canons; the ion canons turrets were located on the top and bottom of the ship which are able to rotate in a 180 degree angle.

The huge vessel was the first in a new class of Quasen Capital ships that were designed to carry strike craft. Since destroyers were unequipped to deal with strike craft due to the lack of defensive fire for small spacecraft. The vessel could only carry sixteen strike craft though currently the vessel had seven on board. The rest were mobile suits belonging to Cagalli's escort.

When the ship first entered hyperspace, Cagalli noted the lack of scenery when in transit. All that could be seen from the window was a grayish color with tiny specs of light that scientists from other races believed were stars. They slowly moved past the vessel like a vehicle passing a signpost.

What amazed Cagalli was how they were not directly traveling to the ISA Headquarters in the Moollone system but making various stops in order to navigate. From what she was told, when one travels through hyperspace from one system to another, it involved a specific route that meant a number of stops depending on the distance.

The Destroyer had already made two stops and a third was planned before they jumped into the Moollone system. According to Ambassador Goyen, the third stop would take them to the Fegth System which housed a trading post. There would be some time before they departed the station which would give Cagalli time to get a tour and meet some races that Orb would have no doubt encountering in the future.

Cagalli was suddenly jolted from sleep as the ship made its scheduled stop. What weren't scheduled were the alarms that started to blare, causing the young woman to rise suddenly from bed. Slipping on her pajama bottoms and a tank top, Cagalli exited her room quickly only to bump into Sven in the hallway.

The young man was the head of her security detail on the trip; much to the insistence of her cabinet that demanded that she bring an escort to protect her. Despite the great relations between Orb and the Quasen, there was lingering suspicion of the unknown. So Sven and seven other armed bodyguards accompanied her on the trip.

"What going on?" asked Cagalli as her cheeks reddened slightly. In their bumping into each other, she had gotten rather close to Sven with her practically embracing the young man.

"I don't know; I was on my way to the bridge when I bumped into you," answered Sven. He was dressed in his Orb military uniform which was slightly ruffled. Cagalli wondered if he had slept in the uniform.

Making their way along the hallway towards the bridge, they moved out of the way to let crewmen make their way to their stations. As they neared the bridge, they were met by Ambasodor Goyen who looked slightly ruffled himself. Finding no answers from the Quasen, all three made their way to the bridge in order to get some answers.

The bridge was frantic with activity as crewmen were yelling from their stations. The main screen showed a tactical display which was quite active. Ship Master Gunyen was yelling orders when he noticed the new arrivals.

"My apologies on the interruption but Dasa Station is reporting that they are under attack by raiders," informed the Ship Master. The Quasen had reddish hair and was wearing a grey military uniform.

"That is most alarming; I trust we are in route to assist?" asked the Ambassador. The two were speaking in the Quasen language so Cagalli could make out very little.

"Of course; we will be in visual range in five minutes," answered the Ship Master, turning his head back to the main screen.

After a few minutes, the screen flicked to life as the station appeared. The station looked like a propane lantern used in camping trips. Fire was erupting from the surface of the space station as a single vessel was hammering it with missiles. Several smaller craft could be seen encircling the station like bees; using their smaller plasma rounds to attack.

"That's a Taiidan Empire Missile Destroyer," stated Goyen, staring in shock at the screen.

"A "Skaal Fa" class Missile Destroyer as well; how the frak did the raiders get a hold of one of those? Those class of destroyers belong to the Imperial Guard," informed Gunyen.

After relaying what was said to Cagalli, the blond asked "Can we take on that ship?"

"Of course; missile destroyers are inferior to regular destroyers due to their lack of any other weapons but missiles. The enemy strike craft give me pause since we lack the numbers aboard," informed the Ship Master.

"In that case; I hereby offer the support of Orb's mobile suits in the coming battle," stated Cagalli. All three of the males as well as the rest of the bridge crew looked at her in disbelief.

"Are you out of your mind? Those suits are meant to be your protection," said Sven angrily.

"And they will be; I am going out there to help," said the young woman as she turned to leave. Ship Master Gunyen just looked over at Goyen as Sven followed Cagalli out of the bridge.

"Are you out of your mind?" asked a clearly agitated Sven as he tried to catch up to the blond.

"No; I cannot just stand by as others fight a battle. We are in a position to lend assistance and I mean to do so," answered Cagalli very firmly.

"I knew I should have brought more mobile suits," mumbled Sven as they entered the hanger. Quasen strike craft were being prepped for combat and Sven was glad to see that Orb's pilots were gathered as well.

Accompanying Cagalli's Strike Rogue and Sven's Strike Noir were seven newly built MVF-M11D Murasames; the updated version of Orb's mainstream mobile suit forces. While there no apparent design changes at first glance, the mobile suits sported new plasma weapons instead of normal beam weapons and a new power generator as well.

"We are about to engage in the first military battle since our exile all those years ago. I know none of you were expecting this but our allies here as well as the people who are being attacked need our help. I expect everyone to come back alive; get to your suits," ordered the blond. The pilots nodded and headed quickly to their Murasames.

Using the lift up to her Gundam, Cagalli opened the hatch and grabbed the flight suit that lay on the chair. Making sure no one was looking; she slipped out of her pajama bottoms and quickly put the suit on. When she was fully zipped up, she grabbed her helmet and put it on. Cagalli then got into the cockpit and closed the hatch.

As the monitors and controls flashed to life, Cagalli tried to remember the last time she had used the mobile suit. When the third siege of Orb began on Earth, she commanded units from the Strike Rogue on the front lines. She remembered how much carnage there had been in the battles leading up to the Ark's launching. However, Cagalli remembered in pride how for every Orb mobile suit that had fallen there were five ZAFT mobile suits destroyed.

"Lady Cagalli; I am Flight Leader Husd of Hiliz Squadron. I will be honored to share the battle with you," said a Quasen who appeared on the communication screen.

"I am honored as well Flight Leader; I pray that everyone makes it back safely," stated the blond. The Quasen smiled and nodded before the screen went blank.

One by one the Quasen strike craft launched from the ship. Cagalli and her forces followed and soon she once again found herself in space. There was a moment of peace for the young woman until a very clear view of the enemy appeared on her main monitor.

It seemed that the enemy missile destroyer had stopped firing on the station and instead was now focused on the new arrivals. While she believed what the Ship Master had said about his ship being more than a match for the enemy ship, the sight of thirty enemy strike craft gave her pause.

The raider strike craft resembled thumbtacks and their black hulls were covered in alien markings. One of the symbols resembled a skull and did not take a genius to analyze what that meant. It occurred to Cagalli that some things were universal.

"Let the enemy pass us before we attack; I doubt they have seen a mobile suit before so they will be unsure of our capabilities," stated Cagalli over the comm.

"The raiders will be surprised to say the least. I have seen your mobile suits in action and I have to admit that I find the things very intriguing," said Husd.

"We'll take out as many as we can before they make their turns," said the blond.

"Then best of luck to you My Lady; may the Goddess watch over you," said the squadron leader as he signed off.

As the enemy craft neared, they began to fire green plasma at the mobile suits and the Quasen strike craft. The group dodged the oncoming fire, maneuvering past the blasts but holding their fire. Cagalli moved just in time in order not to collide with one of the enemy as it passed.

Just as the enemy passed, all seven Murasames changed from their mobile armor mode into their mobile suit modes and turned around quickly. Both the Strike Rogue and Strike Noir made a similar move, bringing up their new plasma rifles and taking aim.

All nine mobile suits opened fire at once, green plasma fire erupting from their rifles. The fire tore into the enemy's backside and smashed their shields as well as their armor. One of the enemy strike craft, taking over a dozen hits, caught fire and exploded. Three more joined it soon after.

The enemy began to turn and the mobile suits braced themselves for enemy fire. The enemy strike craft came in slower this time, trying to deal out as much fire as possible before they passed. Cagalli did her best to dodge the fire, moving to the right and left. The rest of the mobile suits were doing the same, but with the heavy fire there was major difficulty.

There was a sudden explosion as one of the Murasame's lost their left leg as it was hit by a plasma blast. The mobile suit was thrown hard and struggled to regain control as the hail of enemy fire continued. After a few seconds, the damaged Murasame regained control and just barely avoided an enemy strike craft.

The mobile suits repeated their previous move and fired on the enemy strike craft as they passed. Sven pulled out his beam saber and did a continuous slash along the hull of the top a fighter as it passed by him. Flames erupted out of the wound and the strike craft lost control, spinning into another strike craft. Both fighters then exploded.

Cagalli smiled as it appeared that their mobile suits had reduced the enemy force by one third. Her smile then wavered as the remaining enemy strike craft did a tight turn and came at the Orb forces in a more wider formation; forcing the mobile suits to aim their fire more accurately.

However, luck was on the Orb forces side as the Quasen strike craft came swooping in and caught the raiders off guard. Enemy strike craft exploded right and left as quasen plasma fire rained down on them. With the mobile suits stepping up their own fire, the raiders were caught in between the storm of plasma.

Realizing that they were now outnumbered and trapped in a battle they could not win. The enemy strike craft made a break for it, losing more of their number in their retreat. Soon, there were only four of them left as they flew from the battle as fast as they could. The Orb and Quasen forces did not pursue.

There was a sudden flash of light and Cagalli watched as the Quasen Destroyer fired its two ion canons at the raider missile destroyer. The blue beams impacted against the enemy shields which were already straining under the bombardment of anti-matter rounds from the Qausen vessel.

"Amazing sight isn't it?" asked flight leader Husd, appearing on Cagalli's communication screen.

"Yeah; but scary as well since I fear for Orb's safety against such battles," stated the blond with a frown.

"It is scary that the Raiders managed to acquire a missile destroyer; they must have paid the Taiidan Empire a lot of credits," stated the strike craft pilot.

"I see," said Cagalli, watching as the destroyer had brought down the raider ship's shields and began hammering it with everything it had.

It was truly an awesome sight, watching as the missile destroyer's hull buckle under the strain of Quasen fire. The missile destroyer fought back with its guided missiles; but with it being its only armament, there was very little it could do. From what Cagalli understood, missile destroyers were mainly designed for support fire and not capable of taking on targets by itself for anything bigger than a frigate.

After a few minutes, the raider vessel turned to try and escape. However, the missile destroyer had sustained too much damage and was unable to move fast enough before one of its engines exploded. The Quasen destroyer stopped firing but the damage was done. After a minute, more explosions erupted all over the raider vessel followed by a large detonation that blew the ship apart.

"We need to make sure this does not happen to us," said Sven over the comm.

Cagalli nodded to herself in agreement. She inwardly vowed that no force would drive her people from their new home. Cagalli held no imperialistic goals; she would make sure that Orb would have the best equipped military in the galaxy.

No matter what.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Erica yawned as she continued work on her latest project.

Currently seated at a console in the main engineering lab, she stared at the screen in front of her. It was dark in the room and the only light source came from the monitor in front of Erica. The woman was alone with her staff retiring for the night.

Things have been relatively quiet since Cagalli's departure a week ago. Parliament was doing a good job of running things while the blond was away; which still amazed Erica that there wasn't any infighting yet. So far, everyone in Orb's Government was getting along and working together.

Construction continued on Orb's new fleet which was now up to three _Kisaka_-class Ion Frigates, five _Zala_-class Assault Frigates, and six _Mwu_-class Corvettes. Though it was a very small force according to galactic standards, it was at least a start. The new Naval Academy was springing out new officers to run the new Orb Fleet.

Yawning again, Erica rubbed her temples and looked up at the clock. It read 1:30 am and the woman knew that she should head out for the night. She even contemplated taking the next couple of days off.

Hearing the doors open, Erica turned to see who had entered the lab. Surprised by the nature of the visitor, she stood up.

"You know, even when I was working on the Ark, I did not stay up this late," observed Milardo Saja as he walked towards Erica with two cups of coffee in his hands.

The man was short of stature but thin and was in his forties. He had very little hair that was grayish and had blue eyes. Currently, the older man was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a red flannel jacket that looked like it belonged on a farm.

"Really? I would think that a project such as the construction of the Ark would have involved many sleepless nights," Erica said as she took one of the cups and sipped its contents.

"Only towards the end; this project went back seventy years to Lady Cagalli's Grandfather, the original Lord Athha when he christened my family to build the Ark in exchange for protection from our enemies. We went very slowly in the construction out of need for secrecy," informed the older man.

"It still amazes me that you were able hide such a project under Orb's shores without the rest of the world even noticing; not to mention our own people and Government. If any of the other noble families had found out, there would have been hell to pay," stated the young woman.

"Which is why secrecy was so vital; the Ark was the key to Orb's future and the Athha Family knew it," Milardo said.

"I understand; why are you here? I thought you had retired and built that farm on the land that Lady Cagalli had granted you," Erica said.

"I was; I needed a break and decided to check the old girl out and see how she was doing. I am glad that the Ark is still useful despite her apparent objective being complete," stated the older man with pride.

"It is our chief shipyard at the moment and will continue to be; Cagalli also plans to keep it in orbit as an eternal symbol and reminder of our journey to our new Homeworld," informed Erica.

"That is good to hear; what are you working on?" asked Milardo, taking a look at the monitor.

"I have been looking all the information that the Quasen have given us on the ships and militaries that all the other nations use. After careful studying, I have noticed that every type of ship, though different classes, are all the same despite the race using them," stated the engineer.

"What do you mean?" asked Milardo, interested.

"All the Ion Frigates are the same no matter the race that builds them; the same can be said for all the other types of warships. They all have the same types of weaponry and similar number as well. There is no originality except for a few minor details such as the Quasen Destroyer carrying fighters or the Tiidan Republic's corvettes being able to latch on to enemy ships. What I am trying to do is create a new class of vessel that is unique to any other vessel out there," Erica said, looking back at her work.

"Sounds like a challenge; what have you come up with?" asked the older man.

"All Ion Frigates have one cannon; I am working on a Frigate that can fire multiple Ion beams in rapid succession," answered the younger woman.

"From what I understand, that is impossible since a Frigate can only carry one Ion Cannon," Milardo argued.

"Only one big cannon; the Multi-Beam Frigate uses five smaller cannons that fire continuously through an internal rotation," countered Erica.

"Though the internal rotation is a good idea, you still have to deal with the issue of your cannons overheating. Ion based weaponry is not like normal beam cannons we used to use," Saja said.

"I have found the perfect coolant that is inexhaustible; space itself," stated the young woman, shocking her companion.

"That's sounds like a brilliant idea and I applaud you for your ingenuity but would that not expose some vital parts of the ship for attack?" asked Milardo.

"Maybe by strike craft and missiles but they would have to be pretty accurate; plus the rotations on the barrels go very quickly. The Ion beams don't all fire at once but in a clockwise manner," informed Erica.

"Interesting; that could work. How would this class of vessel fair against a normal Ion Frigate?" asked the former engineer.

"One on one, an Ion Frigate is stronger than a Multi-Beam Frigate; slightly though and it really comes down to the crew of the vessel. The Multi-Beam Frigate uses two reactor cores; the terafon reactor for the Ion cannons and a fission reactor for the shields, engines, and other ships systems," Erica educated.

"That definitely frees up the terafon reactor and even allows for the vessel to fire while moving; however, a fission reactor is weak compared to a terafon one so the Multi-Beam Frigate's shields and maneuverability will not be that great," observed the older man.

"Which is a major weakness; but that is still an advantage over a regular Ion Frigate," Erica said with confidence.

"I agree; it seems that you keep outdoing yourself," said Milardo with a smile.

"Thank you; one has to compliment my staff as well with their latest project," stated the young woman with a smile.

"Oh? What your protégés working on?" asked Milardo, taking a seat at the next console.

"A successor to the Murasame which will feature a design that combines the characteristics from Atlantic Federation and Orb mobile suits," answered Erica.

"That's doesn't surprise me; from what I know about your staff, a third of them are from the Atlantic Federation," said the older man.

"When we first settled here, I thought there would be problems since one-quarter of our current population is from the Atlantic Federation. However, there has not been any trouble at all and everyone counts themselves as citizens of Orb. The mobile suit itself is actually based on a design that the Federation created with data that they got through agents with in the Orb Government at the time," Erica said, a small frown appearing on her face.

"Let me guess; the Seirans?" asked Milardo with an eyebrow raised.

"I am so glad that Jonah and Yuna are dead; they were a blight to our people. I have to admit that the design is impressive though and it would have made a worthy rival to our Murasames if the mobile suit had gone into mass production," stated the red-head.

"Why didn't it?" asked the older man, curious.

"It was deemed too expensive by the Atlantic Federation Government and they went with the cheaper Windam model instead. The RE-GZ, which was the mobile suit's codename, does not need striker packs and takes some major features from the Murasame such as free flight in mobile suit form as well as a mobile armor mode," answered the young woman.

"So your staff is using the chassis for the RE-GZ but with modifications; that is interesting to hear. I look forward to seeing the finished product," said the senior engineer.

"So do I; every technical advantage we need is vital to keep Orb alive and independent from the major powers out there," stated Erica grimly.

"I've been reading up on both the Taiidan Empire and the Taiidan Republic; two very powerful but nasty nations," Milardo said.

"Who hate each other extremely," agreed the younger woman.

Over the past few months, the state of galactic affairs had been required reading for Erica; something that Cagalli had insisted for every member of Orb's Government. The more she read, the complexity of the universe was revealed to Erica.

At one time, the Taiidan had been one people that ruled a large chunk of the Milky Way Galaxy through the benign but despotic Taiidan Empire. Practicing a system of absolute monarchy, the Taiidan Emperor's word was law though there was a house of lords that were chiefly his advisors.

When the Taiidan began encountering more and more races, different political ideologies began to seep into the general population; especially those living in the outer colonies in regards to the idea of democracy. In an attempt to thwart political upheavals, the Taiidan Emperors extended a greater amount of military control over their outer provinces. A move, that most galactic historians agree, only elevated the problem.

When the Taiidan Empire and the Hung Confederation went to war, several of the outer colonies saw this as an opportunity to organize instill their own political beliefs into their systems of Government. With the Taiidan Imperial Fleet occupied in battles along the Taiidan-Hung border, there was very little the Empire could do to stop their wayward colonies.

When the war was concluded with a truce on both sides, the current Taiidan Emperor saw the opportunity to retake control over the outer colonies before they could declare independence and seek support from the other stellar nations. In a surprise move, he ordered the 7th Fleet into the colonies. It was a disastrous move since the 7th Fleet was known for their brutality during the war.

In the next few months, the outer colonies were viciously subjugated under the brutal acts of the Imperial Fleet. Thousands were murdered through orbital bombardments and entire colonial cities were wiped out. This only incited a full rebellion in the outer colonies which increased the violence greatly.

Several nations, seeking to take advantage of the situation and curb Taiidan influence in the Milky Way, began secretly supplying the rebel movement with ships and money. Soon the Imperial Fleet began encountering rebel ships which, though not as powerful as their ships, gave them a run for their money.

The first major loss to the Imperial Fleet happened on the Emperor's birthday. While the bulk of the 7th Fleet was docked at the Defte Naval Base, the Colonial Fleet in a move that made history, attacked during the highest point of the celebration. In two hours, the main body of the 7th fleet was destroyed or captured. The surviving elements, facing superior colonial forces, retreated back into inner rim of the Empire.

With their victory over the Imperial Fleet, the Outer Rim Colonies declared independence from the Empire and established the Republic of Taiidan. Curbed with a weakened Imperial Fleet from the war, the Emperor could do nothing but watch as two-fifths of his dominion slip away from his grasp. By the time the Imperial Fleets had been built up, the Republic was too strong to retake without exposing the Empire to other hostile forces.

Since then, the Empire and Republic had been at odds; even having border wars over vital systems along the perimeter of where their territories met. The two nations were regarded as the major powers of the Galaxy in terms of economic, political, and military influence.

When the Interstellar Alliance had been established in the aftermath of the last Major Galactic War, both nations power had been diminished greatly. The ISA knew that it had to curb any threat of war between the two powers; lest in destabilize the other nations that shared borders with the Republic and the Empire, starting another major war.

Though Orb was couple of thousand light years away from the conflicted space, it still was threatened to be pulled into the conflict. Erica knew that until Orb builds up its defenses, it was a third-rate power that could be pushed around by its neighbors. The Quasen were friendly, but the same thing could not be said of the rest of the galactic community.

The universe was a dangerous place.

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update and I hope it is to your satisfaction.

Any player of Homeworld will see that I have changed the history of the Taiidan as well as the specs to the Multi-Beam Frigate. I hope you forgive me for this. I wanted to change a couple of things for the story's plot.

The RE-GZ is a mobile suit from UC Gundam. You can find it on in the ZZ or Chars Counterattack variations section of the Gundam Mech specs.

Next update will feature Cagalli meeting with various nations' representatives as well as some galactic history. The ISA will be fully explained as well. Cagalli will find that everything is far more complex than what she has been led to believe.

Please R&R


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